Dravid bats for Indo-Pak series from cricketing angle

Giving his support for the proposed revival of Indo-Pak cricket series, former skipper Rahul Dravid today said he welcomed it from a purely cricketing perspective, although there were many other matters to be considered.

"From a cricketing perspective an India-Pakistan series is any day welcome. But this series is more than about cricket, looking at the security angle and political situations, and is best left to the two Boards to decide," Dravid said at a media conference of IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan had visited India recently to rally hard for the resumption of Indo-Pak cricket ties.

Shaharyar, during a joint press briefing along with BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata, proposed a series comprising three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s in UAE in December, but the BCCI has not given any categorical statement yet on the proposed series and the venue.

"Possibility is that in the coming few days or coming weeks, second round of talks will take place," BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur told a press conference in Chandigarh today.
Thakur, who is also a BJP MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, said the talks between the Boards of the two countries were still in "early stages".

"I want to say only this, which is that the talks between the Boards of two countries has taken place, which are at early stages. And when talks between two Boards takes place, you limit the talk to just cricket only.

"At government level, what is their thinking, whether they want (the series to take place) or not, on this no talk has taken place," Thakur said.